


The Pirate's Radio

by NightWriter89



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: 60s, Disabilities, F/F, Gilles de la Tourette, Love, Nuns, Pirates, Radio, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:48:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27700930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightWriter89/pseuds/NightWriter89
Summary: Emma Swan is a radio DJ at the illegal radio station SeaQuest FM. Located on a freight ship somewhere on the North Sea, she broadcasts pop and rock 'n roll for 24 hours, 7 days a week with her fellow DJ's. She is penpals with the mysterious MR, who is a loyal listener. When the radio organizes a contest, Emma finally sees a change to meet this mysterious MR. When she finally meets MR, her world got turned upside down.Or The Boat That Rocked AU no one asked for...
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 18
Kudos: 71
Collections: Swan Queen Advent Calendar Collection 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a joke between me and Errol's Feather, who suggested the movie The Boat That Rocked to me. Then the Swan Queen Advent Calender rolled around and here we are. So I want to thank Errol for this idea and for all of your help with it. (and of course for the amazing art!) 
> 
> This is dedicated to my love.

_“That was the ever sharp-sounding guitar of Jimi Hendrix. What a way to wake up on SeaQuest FM. You’re listening to Emma in the morning and I want to help you keep holding on to that dream for just a bit longer with California Dreamin’ from The Mamas & The Papas.”_

Regina Mills, or sister Maria Regina as she had chosen when she joined the order of Erasmus, stretched and yawned. Next to her, nurse Kathryn was still sleeping while Maria Regina was listening to the little handheld radio hidden under her pillow. As a sister of the order, she wasn’t allowed to own anything. When she had joined the order, she had taken the vow of poverty and had relinquished all her possessions. All of it except for her radio. Her sister Zelena had given it to her, and Maria Regina couldn’t bear the thought of that radio gathering dust. Music always had been important throughout her life, as her mother used to sing all the time and her father loved to dance with her mother through the living room after dinner. Maria Regina smiled at the memory and decided it was time to get out of bed. Sister Evangelista would no doubt already be downstairs waiting for her and Kathryn.

“Kathryn,” Maria Regina called softly and the woman next to her stirred. Still, she didn’t wake up and Maria Regina didn’t blame her. It was growing cold as they were nearing October. “Kathryn,” she said a bit louder and now the woman lifted her head up.

“Already?” she asked and Maria Regina nodded. Kathryn groaned and sat up. “Why is it always so blistering cold?” she complained.

“Because the heater has been dead since the stone age?” Maria Regina chuckled.

Kathryn huffed and started to get dressed as well. “I’ll ask George to look at it. Again.”

“Good luck,” Maria Regina smirked and left the room so Kathryn could get dressed in peace.

George was their maintenance man, he kept the Erasmus House up and running. But up until now, he had never been able to fix the heater in that room. It had already been broken when Maria Regina had gotten the room five years ago when she joined the order, and George had sworn the heater was cursed by St. Erasmus himself. Maria Regina had smiled politely and had ignored it. During the winter she would just pull on some extra socks and sleep in a parka underneath the blanket. She had been right, sister Evangelista was already packing up her bag for a new day of midwifery. Maria Regina smiled at her when she entered the workroom. It consisted of a large workbench where sterile instruments were spread out. Against the walls were sinks and cabinets where they could clean the instruments and store medication. Maria Regina could still remember the first day she set foot in this room and was astonished that the sisters and nurses here used a glass enema. Now she was used to it and was following the new discoveries in the medical field with rapt attention. Sister Evangelista thought it all was bullocks, she was a stickler for the olden ways. She and Maria Regina had clashed in the beginning, but by now they had built a solid friendship. Maria Regina had learned that sister Evangelista had grown up in a workhouse and had never had a normal childhood. She had worked from the moment she could walk and she had never stopped. Maria Regina had a deep respect for the woman and sister Evangelista had shown she was willing to learn from the younglings, it just took a while before she would actually practice what she had learned.

“Good morning, sister Maria Regina,” sister Evangelista greeted her. “It’s promising to be a busy day, a lot of mothers are ready to pop,” she told Maria Regina. “And sister Cecilia is out sick with the flu,” she added.

“I can take over a part of her list?” Maria Regina said as she started to fill her work bag as well.

“That would be most helpful,” sister Evangelista smiled.

Maria Regina nodded and knew it would indeed be a busy day today. After a quick breakfast, she swiftly walked out of the door and grabbed her bike out of the parking rack. She placed the bag on the bike rack, bound it tightly, and drove off while whistling Sweet Caroline. She could hear the sultry voice of one Emma Swan in her head, telling her about this song…

~~~

About 80 miles south of where Maria Regina was, Emma Swan removed the headphones from her head and stretched out.

“Another splendid show, Swan!” Ruby Lucas smiled at her from the other side of the room. She would take over from Emma to guide the listeners well into the afternoon.

“Thanks, Red,” Emma smirked and stood up. “Have a good one!”

With that, she walked out of the studio. She had been lucky to land this job as a DJ with a pirate radio station. It was very illegal and that’s why their wise leader Rumple had chosen the spot of their radio station wisely. They were currently on an old freight ship in the middle of the English Canal. They were well out of the reach of the claws of the government, but she knew their claws were closing in on them. As she made her way through the small corridors of the ship, she let out all the tics she had been holding in. When she was about thirteen, she had been diagnosed with Gilles de la Tourette. Over the years she had developed a lot of tics, most of them were physical. Her face was always moving, her eyebrows would lift out of their own accord, she would stretch her neck unnaturally far to the right and the most annoying was the tic in her throat. At the end of the day, her throat would be sore and her face tired from all the muscle movements. She had also developed some vocal tics which had gotten worse over time. She entered the kitchen where Rumple was sorting through three big bags of mail.

“Wanker,” Emma swore as she sat down in the booth.

Rumple looked up, knowing Emma didn’t mean to call him wanker. “Good afternoon to you too,” he smirked. “You were on a roll this morning.”

Emma nodded. “It went pretty smooth,” she nodded, pulling back her ears until it hurt.

Sometimes, in the middle of a sleepless night, she wished she could take all the tics away. The only moment she felt completely relaxed was when she was on the ether. Everything around her would fall away and it was just her, the microphone, and the music. Over the years she had tried to get a job at various radio stations, but they all had sent her away. They claimed she didn't have enough experience but she knew it was because of her ticks. One night, when she was drinking away her sorrows, she met Rumple and he had told her about his idea of starting his own station. He’d run into the same problem as Emma, no respectable radio station wanted a war veteran. He’d fought in the Vietnam war and had been shot in the leg. The medics there hadn’t been able to remove the bullet and when he had arrived back in England, the doctors hadn’t been able to remove all the shrapnel from the bullet. It had left him with a limp and he relied on a cane. Emma had been very interested in his idea of setting up their own station and at the end of the night, Rumple told her to meet him in the same bar in a month. Emma had shown up a month later and found out Rumple had pulled it off. Not only had he found the perfect location (an abandoned freight ship) but also a near-complete crew. They were only missing a morning DJ. There Emma had met Ruby ‘Red’ Lucas, who was deaf on one ear and heard forty percent with the other, she would do the afternoons. Killian ‘Hook’ Jones was the late afternoon DJ, he had lost his right hand in the same war as Rumple. Emma had the sneaking suspicion they knew each other, there was some history between the two. Then there was Robin Lockswood, he would do the weekends. Rumple explained they would take the weekends in rotations, but Robin was in charge of the weekend. As far as Emma could asses, he didn't have any disabilities, but he could have some mental problems. Last, but not least, there was Archie Hopper. He looked like a hippie and he definitely was stoned. Archie would do the late nights and Rumple told everyone how much knowledge of music he had. Emma tried to make eye contact, but Archie avoided everyone’s eyes like a pro. Emma had left him alone, she figured she could talk with him at a later point. After that first night, they had met up two days later in the harbor and Emma had been impressed with the enormous ship that lay waiting for them. Rumple invited them inside and gave them the grand tour. After that, they sorted out bunks and Emma ended up bunking with Red. That turned out the perfect match, they were like Siamese twins. Red taught Emma sign language and Emma taught Ruby some new swear words, most of them unintentional. They had set out to sea with the full intention to throw the anchor out somewhere on the North Sea, but that proved to be too much for the ship. The engine stopped running in the middle of the canal and some friendly fishermen boats offered to tow them to a safer spot out of the shipping route. So now they were about 80 miles away from London and living their best lives. SeaQuest FM had taken off quite well and over the year they’d been out on the sea, they’d gathered quite a big crowd of listeners. Every week about three or four bags full of letters would arrive together with their supplies. Emma had gathered a steady crowd of listeners and quite a lot of them wrote to her. Among them was a woman who always signed off with MR. After a few months, she had boldly put a P.O. box in her letter and Emma had started to write back. So now Emma looked out longingly for her letters as those were the ones she really wanted to read.

“You’ve got a whole bag for yourself today,” Rumple told her as he handed her the bag and Emma grinned.

“Thanks,” she said and started digging through the letters.

Finally, she found the familiar handwriting of MR and she ripped it open.

“Is it a bomb?” Rumple asked chuckling as he watched the speed at which she opened the letter.

Emma flipped him off and started reading.

_Dear miss Swan,_

Emma chuckled, she had told MR to call her Emma, but MR kept refusing to do so.

_It’s early morning and I’m listening to you once again. I know I’ve told you this a lot, but I want to thank you for bringing all this music into my life. It makes it all just a bit more endurable. The days will soon start to grow longer and colder and the heater in my room is still broken. Our custodian is convinced the heater is cursed, I think the building is just old and has its flaws. I think it’s charming, as this building has endured so much, I’m not going to complain about a broken heater._

_I’m rambling, I’m sorry. Have you heard about this new group, The Beatles? I think you played a song by them. I heard there’s been a movie made about them, I haven’t had the chancee to see it. Did you see it? Or are they keeping you hostage on that big ship?_

_Emma chuckled at that and once again she wondered who this MR was and what she did for a living. MR had never disclosed it and always skated around that question._

_Anyway, I need to get going or else I’ll be fired. Thank you again for the daily wake up calls._

_Ps: I’m happy to spot your voice on the odd weekends!_

_Love, MR_

Emma folded up the letter and put it back in the envelope.

“Good letter?” Rumple asked as he handed her a cup of coffee and some scrambled eggs.

Emma nodded, or at least tried to as her neck decided it wanted to stretch. So she ended up looking at the ceiling for a good five seconds, fighting off the tic. Finally, her muscles relaxed and she could move her head back forward.

“Very good,” she smiled at Rumple and winced at the starting muscle ache in her neck.

She already knew she wouldn’t get much sleep the coming night.

“You alright?” Rumple asked worriedly.

Emma nodded again and was grateful her neck behaved this time. “I will be.”

Rumple let her be after that, he knew not to push. Emma’s tics had been all over the place the first time he’d met her and it had thrown him off. But when he heard and saw Emma doing her morning program, he was sold. She was a natural and her tics seemed to disappear whenever she was on the air. Over the year, her tics had been less active, he had noticed. Only every now and again they came out very intense. On those days he would find her in a corner at night at Archie’s studio, listening to Archie talking softly into the microphone and playing his music. In those moments she finally seemed at peace…


	2. Chapter 2

November had arrived quietly, and the cold was slowly creeping into their room. Maria Regina woke up, listening to Emma’s smooth voice over the radio hidden underneath her pillow.

_“And that was The Doors with Light My Fire,” Emma said cheerfully. “For today I have something special for you listeners. Our captain, the gracious Rumpelstiltskin has agreed on letting some of our most loyal fans come visit us. But seeing as we’re on a boat, there’s limited space. So, we thought of a competition. The first 50 people who answer correctly, will be invited to come visit us!”_

Maria Regina perked up, she’d always wanted to see where Emma worked. But just as soon she perked up, her face fell. What were the chances of her getting the answer right? And even if she did, how could she sneak away for an entire weekend from the convent? She sighed and was about to give up when she heard the question.

_“The question I need an answer for is: What do the names Brian, Dennis, and Carl have in common? You have a week to send in your answers. While you ponder on the question, here are The Rolling Stones with Jumpin’ Jack Flash. Good luck!” Emma said._

Maria Regina perked up once again, she knew the answer to that! She looked over her shoulder and saw Kathryn was still sound asleep. She turned off the radio, scared that Kathryn would hear the music if she lifted her head from the pillow and snuck out of bed. She quickly wrote down the answer and put it in an envelope. Without hesitating, she wrote down the address of the P.O. box of the radio station and was about to close it, when she grabbed another piece of paper. She started writing and closed the envelope just when Kathryn stirred. Maria Regina hid the envelope underneath her Bible and started to get dressed.

Kathryn rubbed her eyes before opening them. “You’re up early,” she said before she yawned.

“Couldn’t sleep anymore,” Maria Regina shrugged and prayed Kathryn wouldn’t inquire any further

Kathryn merely nodded and got up as well. She shivered as she quickly pulled on her clothes.

“Hope it’s gonna be a slow day today,” she said as she straightened her blouse.

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Maria Regina chuckled. “We have the clinic today.”

Kathryn groaned. “Well, at least we’ll be warm,” she winked.

“That is true,” Maria Regina nodded.

Kathryn left the room to get some breakfast and Maria Regina followed her, but not before grabbing the letter with her. She put it in a hidden pocket in her habit, she would post it on her way to the clinic. She left the room as well, already missing Emma’s voice…

~~~

Emma had just put on The Beatles when she heard a ruckus outside the studio. She frowned, normally it was quiet around this time. She put down the headphones and poked her head outside the door. Rumple was standing with his back to her, while Robin, their weekend DJ, was yelling at him from the doorway of his bunk.

“Come on, I thought you weren’t serious!” Robin said frustrated.

“You know I was,” Rumple replied calmly. “Do you remember Whale?” he asked.

Victor Whale, a rebellious evening DJ had spent a few weeks with them. He had been kicked off the boat and off the ether when he had broken Rumple’s one rule: no women of pleasure on board. Victor had ignored it and Rumple had kicked him out for it. Now it seems Robin had broken this exact same rule. Emma shook her head and closed the door behind her, she had a show to make. She saw the song was almost done and she decided to play another song directly behind it.

“What’s going on out there?” Ruby asked curiously. She sat across from Emma preparing for her show.

“Looks like Robin had some company last night,” Emma chuckled.

“Senior or junior?” Ruby asked with a frown.

She was speaking of Robin’s daughter, who was also called Robin. Young Robin had shown up a couple of weeks ago, claiming she wanted to get to know her father better. Rumple had begrudgingly agreed to let her stay on the condition she pulled her weight on board. So she had been put to work in the kitchen, although she seemed to have more interest in doing radio. Emma had seen her help her father prepare and thought she had talent. Young Robin was a smooth talker, just like her father, and her voice was smooth as silk.

“Senior,” Emma replied.

“Figures,” Ruby shook her head. “Is Rumple going to kick him out?”

“Looks like it,” Emma said as she shoved the headphones back on her head.

Ruby groaned. “That means more work for us on the weekend.”

“Unless young Robin takes over,” Emma mused. “She took over from her dad last weekend.”

“Depends on if Rumple will give her the opportunity,” Ruby nodded.

Emma nodded and saw the song was almost ending. She cleared her throat and scooted closer to the microphone.

“That was The Beatles and Jefferson Airplane back to back. For the listeners just tuning in, we’ve got a fun competition going!” Emma said.

In the back of her mind, she wondered if MR would respond to this question. Emma knew she needed to be fair, but if her answer would be anything close, she would send an invite to the woman. She was dying to meet this mysterious woman and this competition was the perfect excuse.

~~~

Maria Regina stretched her back as she looked into the now empty room. She and her fellow midwives had been assessing the pregnant ladies that had come into the clinic today. She looked over to find sister Evangelista berating sister Hanna and she sighed. Sister Hanna looked really uncomfortable and Maria Regina decided she needed some rescuing. She shot a look at Kathryn and saw she was busy with taking inventory with doctor James. Maria Regina grinned, she knew Kathryn had her eyes on doctor James for a while now. She walked over to sister Evangelista and Hanna.

“That is not how we do things here!” she heard sister Evangelista telling Hanna.

“But… at nursing school they…” Hanna tried bravely, but sister Evangelista was a force of nature.

“I don’t care. We have been doing this since the dawn of time and I’ve never heard any complaints!”

Maria Regina shook her head as she softly placed her hand on sister Evangalista’s shoulder. “Sister?” she asked quietly.

“What?” Sister Evangelista turned around, frowning, but softened when she saw who it was. “Oh, it’s you. What is it?” she asked, her voice a tad bit softer.

“Sister Juliana asked for you,” Maria Regina told her and sister Evangelista squinted at her.

“Thank you,” she finally said and walked off.

“Are you okay?” Maria Regina asked Hanna, who stood shivering like a leave.

“Yes,” the young woman said. “Thank you,” she added.

“No worries,” Maria Regina smiled. “I’ve…”

Suddenly, the door flew open and a heavily pregnant woman stumbled inside. She tripped over her own feet and Kathryn only just caught her.

“Sister!” she called out to Maria Regina and Maria Regina ran over to her.

The woman in Kathryn’s arms looked malnourished and Maria Regina could see some faded out bruises. This woman had been severely mistreated and Maria Regina clenched her teeth. Kathryn did a quick assessment and when the woman groaned out in pain and grabbing her belly, they knew for sure. This woman was in labor.

“Hanna! Go fetch the doctor!” Maria Regina called at the young nurse and Hanna sprinted away.

Maria Regina helped Kathryn get the woman on a gurney and when they lifted her off the floor, they saw her water had broken. While Maria Regina prepared for this unexpected birth and got all the equipment, Kathryn helped the woman get comfortable. When she opened the woman’s legs, she stifled a gasp.

“Sister?” she asked quietly and stepped aside so Maria Regina could see what was between the woman’s legs.

The woman’s thighs were filled with bruises, some were fading, but most were a deep purple. Her genitalia was mutilated and Maria Regina had to swallow down the bile that rose in her throat.

“Can you go see what’s taking the doctor so long?” she asked. “And maybe call in reinforcements.”

Kathryn nodded, she understood Maria Regina didn’t want to alarm the woman and stepped out of the curtained off area. The woman in question hadn’t said a word yet, only groaning in pain. Maria Regina sat down on the stool, she was all gowned up.

“Alright doll,” she started. “I’m going to have to see how far along you are,” she explained and went in between the woman’s legs. The woman whimpered but didn’t say anything. Maria Regina felt she wasn’t completely dilated and removed her hand. “Okay, well done,” she smiled and stood up so she could face the woman. “You haven’t fully dilated yet, but I don’t think it will take much longer. Do you understand me?” she asked when the woman looked at her with glazed-over eyes. When there was no reply, Maria Regina frowned. Something was up with this woman, but she didn’t know what yet. She looked up when doctor James stepped inside the curtained area, discreetly looking away from the exposed woman on the gurney.

“There was an emergency here?” he asked, looking at Maria Regina.

“Yes, doctor,” Maria Regina nodded and helped him with his surgical gloves. “Please, see for yourself,” she added.

Doctor James nodded and examined the woman as well. Concerned, he looked up.

“Has she said anything?” he asked.

“No,” Maria Regina replied. “She’s not responding to any of us.”

“And nurse Kathryn has called the police?” he asked quietly.

Maria Regina was about to answer when the woman suddenly jumped up from the gurney. She looked bewildered around her, her eyes big.

“Miss, calm down,” Maria Regina said, stepping forward.

The woman backed away from Maria Regina, pushing aside the curtains. A small gap appeared and the woman darted through it.

“Dammit,” doctor James cursed under his breath and ran after the woman.

Maria Regina rushed from behind the curtains, but neither the woman nor doctor James was there. Sister Evangelista appeared next to her, looking worried.

“What happened?” she asked.

“The woman got spooked when doctor James mentioned the police,” Maria Regina explained.

Sister Evangelista muttered something under her breath before grabbing her bag and coat. “Grab your stuff, the doctor might need us out there.”

Maria Regina nodded, grabbed her bag and coat as well, and followed sister Evangelista outside.

~~~

Emma walked out of the studio, scratching the back of her head. The show didn't go half bad and Emma was happy with how it went. Her tics were coming out again and Emma just let them go. It took a lot of energy and practice to rein them in during the show. She stepped into the kitchen and spotted Robin Sr. standing in the doorway, all packed up.

“What’s happening?” Emma asked curiously, although she had an inkling of what was going on.

“I’ve been ordered to leave,” Robin replied grumpily.

“Yeah, because you couldn’t keep it in your pants,” Robin Jr. reacted angrily. “Why couldn’t you just behave?” she went on.

“What do you expect?” Robin Sr. threw back. “I’m a man. I have needs!”

“I have needs too!” Robin Jr. yelled. “Like the need to get to know you! How the fuck am I gonna do that now?”

Robin Sr. sighed, his shoulders slumped down. “I’m sorry, kiddo,” he said. “But I think you’re better off without me.”

“And you get to decide that for me?” Robin Jr. roared. “You know what? Just fuck off!”

Robin Sr.’s face twisted into something Emma didn’t recognize. Was it hurt? It was gone before she could analyze it. “Fine.” Robin Sr. grabbed his back and disappeared out of the door.

Robin Jr. watched him go, her face fell as soon as the door slammed shut. As soon as his footsteps had died away, she started crying. Emma went over to her and pulled her into a hug.

“It’s gonna be alright,” she told the younger girl. “You don’t need him.”

“I…I… doooooo,” Robin wailed. “He’s my dad!”

“I know,” Emma replied. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Robin clung to Emma tighter as Emma held her as well. After minutes, Robin finally calmed down and she let go of Emma.

“I guess you guys are my family now,” she said as she wiped away the tears.

Emma grinned. “I guess so. That is, can you stay? Is Rumple letting you stay?” she asked.

Robin nodded. “He is. On one condition.”

“Which is?” Emma asked curiously.

“I’m to take over my dad’s weekend show,” Robin said.

“Wow. Are you up for it?” Emma asked. “I mean, if you ever need a sidekick...?” she suggested.

“That may not be such a bad idea,” Robin grinned. “Thanks!”

“No worries, kiddo,” Emma smiled. “Now be a dear and make me a sandwich.”

Robin flipped her off but moved into the kitchen. Emma watched her go and thought Rumple had made the right decision, Robin would be more of an asset to their little team than her father ever was…


	3. Chapter 3

“And with House of the Rising Sun from The Animals, I sign off for this morning and hand you over to Red, who told me she has a wild program in store for all of you. As always, it was my pleasure to help you through the morning and I’ll be back, bright and early, on Monday!”

Emma pulled off her headphones and stretched herself out. Next to her, Ruby was getting ready to get on with her show. She smiled at the brunette and stood up. Her shift was done and she would have the weekend off. Ruby waved at her as Emma walked out of the studio. Her tics were already starting up. She hated them, but also knew they were a part of her. She let them happened, she had been suppressing them for the last four hours.

“Good show, Swan,” Rumple greeted her as she walked into the kitchen.

“Thanks,” Emma smiled.

“Have you been able to sort through your answers to the contest yet?” he asked, frowning at her.

“No, but I will get right on it,” Emma promised him and walked off to the kitchen.

Robin was busy with making lunch for all of them and Emma walked past her to the coffee maker. As she waited for the coffee to be ready, she watched the younger girl. Robin stuck out her tongue as she cut the sandwiches just right.

“Have you heard from your father?” Emma asked quietly.

Robin looked up, sadness replacing the concentrated look on her face. “No, I haven’t,” she replied and sighed. “And maybe that’s just for the best.”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. Are you ready for this weekend?” she asked as she poured the black coffee into her mug.

“Is it normal to feel this nervous?” Robin asked, now looking almost scared.

Emma laughed. “Yeah, it is. You’ll do fine, kiddo. Remember, you're not alone and we're here to help,” Emma offered. “And now I've got to pick out my winners before Rumple throws me overboard,” she winked.

“Good luck!” Robin called after her as she walked out of the kitchen.

Emma smiled as she walked to her bunk. She liked Robin, she was already proving to be a more decent human being than her father. Robin Sr. had hardly ever talked to Emma, or to anyone else for that matter. He only seemed to talk with Rumple a lot and Emma had the sense he didn’t really like women, despite the fact he slept around a lot. He probably only saw women as a sexual object.

Emma shook her head, he wasn’t worth spending one more thought on. She closed the door of her bunk, sank down on the bed, and emptied out the bag of envelopes. Out of habit, she scanned them all briefly, searching for the now-familiar handwriting. Emma prayed that MR had entered the competition and that she had gotten the answer right.

She paused briefly, what if MR had answered but gotten it wrong? Would Emma cheat? She shook her head and smiled when she spotted the familiar handwriting. Her hands were shaking slightly, her neck tic played up as she ripped open the envelope. Quickly, she scanned through the letter. It was just a regular letter telling Emma how her day had been and about her roommate who had a ridiculous ritual of getting up. Even though Emma had to chuckle, she felt a tad bit disappointed. Then, when she picked up the envelope to put the letter back, a second piece of paper fell out. Emma picked it up and almost cheered when she read the answer.

MR had given the right answer, earning herself the very first spot on the boat…

~~~

Maria Regina stepped off her bike, the freezing cold gripping her face. It was the end of November by now and Christmas decorations were popping up. She smiled, she loved Christmas time. Everyone was so joyful and friendly. She’d had a fair few Christmas celebration with the Erasmus House and she was looking forward to it. From Bea, akela of the scouts and fellow midwife, she had heard the scout cubs would perform a little Christmas play. Maria Regina parked her bike against the house she was due to home visit and grabbed the birth kit from under the binders. As she walked up to the door, she wondered if Emma had gotten her letter yet and if she had won a spot to visit the radio station. Thinking about it made her nervous, she was really curious to see who was the face behind Emma’s voice. She imagined a very kind looking woman, with warm eyes and a friendly smile. Maria Regina shook her head, she needed to focus on her work. She knocked on the door and waited for it to be answered. The door flew open and a woman in her mid-fifties opened.

“Who are you?” the woman barked.

“I’m sister Maria Regina from Erasmus House,” Maria Regina started, but never got to finish her sentence.

“No one is dying here. We didn’t ask for a sister,” the woman dismissed her and made a move for shutting the door close in Maria Regina’s face.

Maria Regina caught it just in time and firmly planted her hand against the door; she was stronger than she looked. “I’m here to deliver the birthing kit. There is someone pregnant in this house, right?” she asked, suddenly questioning herself if she had the right house.

The woman’s demeanor changed and she stopped trying to close the door. “Oh. Yes. My apologies, come in,” she said, her eyes quickly scanning the street behind Maria Regina.

Maria Regina stepped inside the house and she immediately noticed the smell. It smelled like wet clothes, old pee, and something else Maria Regina couldn’t identify. She had gone to her fair shares of bad housings, but this was bad. Everywhere she looked she saw clothes hanging out to dry and judging by the size of some of the clothes, there were a lot of children living here. As she peeked up the stairs, she counted at least three little heads.

“Through here, sister,” the woman, whom Maria Regina deducted to be Miss Abbot, said.

Miss Abbot let her through the small house to the back room. As Miss Abbot opened the door to the backroom, the origin of the unidentified smell hit her square in the face. She managed to stifle a cough in a handkerchief she quickly pulled out of her pocket. There was a bed standing against the wall and on top of it sat a young woman. Maria Regina thought she was barely twenty, and she was clearly pregnant.

“Hello sister,” the girl greeted her with a smile.

“Hello,” Maria Regina greeted back, focusing on the girl. “You must be Marnie.”

“I am,” Marnie replied and rubbed her belly.

Carefully, Maria Regina placed the kit on the bed and she stifled another cough. The smell coming up from the bed was horrendous.

“How are you?” Maria Regina asked, trying to ignore the smell.

“Pretty okay, considering,” Marnie smiled. “The baby is kicking, so that’s good, right?” she asked.

“It is,” Maria Regina agreed. “When was the last time you came to the clinic?” she asked, shyly looking around.

There was barely any lighting, the only light source was a candle in the corner. There were no windows and there were drying clothes hanging here as well. Maria Regina knew that it wouldn’t be safe to have a baby here.

“Muuum?” Marnie bellowed and Miss Abbot appeared in the doorway. “When did I last go to the clinic?” she asked.

Miss Abbot frowned, thinking. “I think that was after your brother’s birthday, so four weeks ago?”

Maria Regina nodded, this was concerning. “Do you mind if I do a quick exam?” she asked.

“No, of course not!” Marnie replied and hoisted up her shirt and scooted down on her back.

Maria Regina knew she would never be able to reach Marnie without sitting on the bed. She wanted to take a deep breath but instead held her breath. She could almost feel the germs moving underneath her as she sat down and started to examine Marnie’s belly. It looked like the baby was in a good position and she estimated it was growing as planned.

“Thank you,” she smiled at Marnie and stood up from the bed.

“Is he doing okay?” Marnie asked.

“Splendidly,” Maria Regina smiled. “I’m going to have a word with your mum, okay? I’ll see you soon!”

Maria Regina left the room and closed the door behind her. This was going to be a problem. Maria Regina found Miss Abbot in the kitchen, fussing around with a teapot.

“Ah, sister,” she greeted Maria Regina with a smile when she spotted Maria Regina. “I was just making some tea.”

Maria Regina smiled politely at her. “Can I have a word with you?” she asked gently.

“Of course! Have a seat,” Miss Abbot said, waving at the kitchen table. Maria Regina inspected the chair and decided it would be safe enough. Miss Abbot joined her soon after with a cup of tea and sat down as well. “You have no idea how hard it is to keep it all running here. And then Marnie managed to get pregnant as well,” she sighed.

“Yes, about that. Is the father in the picture?” Maria Regina asked carefully.

“If we knew who he was, he sure would be,” Miss Abbot huffed. “Marnie doesn’t know. She claims to never have done it. But she has to, right?” she asked, almost helpless.

“That is how one gets pregnant,” Maria Regina nodded. “When was the last time Marnie has been off that bed?” she asked further.

Miss Abbot shrugged. “A couple of weeks. Why?” she asked sharply.

Maria Regina took a deep breath and almost regretted it, the horrendous smell penetrated her nose. “I have to be honest with you. Her due date is soon and she can’t give birth on that bed,” she said, armoring herself for the response.

The response she expected, never came. Miss Abbot looked at her and then looked away ashamed. “I know,” she whispered. “I can’t get her off the bed. She refuses to.”

“Why?” Maria Regina asked curiously.

“Hell if I know!” Miss Abbot spat and looked with wide, regretful eyes at Maria Regina. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Maria Regina assured. “How about I come back tomorrow and give it a try?” she asked.

Miss Abbot nodded. “That would be grand.”

“Okay. Then I’ll be here before I have to do my rounds, okay?” Maria Regina said and stood up.

“Thank you,” Miss Abbot replied. “Really.”

Maria Regina said goodbye and walked out of the house. Once outside, she took a deep breath. The freezing air tickled her windpipe, but boy, was she glad to breathe in the fresh air. She stepped on her bike and drove off, thinking about why Marnie refused to get off the bed…

~~~

Evening had fallen and Rumple had called a staff meeting. So now they were all crammed into the dining area of the boat. Rumple stood leaning on his cane, looking at all of them.

“By now, all the answers of the contest have been tallied,” he started. “I would like to get your lists of winners, please,” he said. They all handed him the lists and Rumple went through it. He stopped halfway, frowning down at the paper in his hand. He then raised up the list and Emma snickered, the paper had been filled to the bottom with names. “I told you, you all could pick ten winners. We can’t have too many people on the boat,” he roared. “Who’s list is this?”

They remained quiet until, finally, Ruby raised her hand. “Mine,” she said. “But come on, who is going to count how many people we have onboard? The government? They can’t even find us,” she protested.

“We will. When we’re on the bottom of the ocean,” Rumple retorted and handed her the list back. “Make it shorter.” Ruby grimaced but took her list back. As Rumple continued, she started to scratch away names. “Alright. Now that that is being taken care of, I want to officially welcome Robin as our weekend DJ. This weekend Ruby will be her co-host and we will rotate until Robin feels confident enough to go solo. Capice?” he asked and everyone nodded. “Alright, then I think that’s it. We will have another meeting before our guests will arrive on the day before Christmas,” he added. “Now scatter!”

Ruby handed him her redacted list and she turned to face Emma. “That was so not fair. I know Archie invited no one and Robin didn’t either. Imagine how many gorgeous women I’m missing out on?” she complained.

Emma laughed and shook her head. “Poor you. Wanker!”

Now Ruby chortled as well. “I suppose I will be wanking yes. But at least there are ten ladies coming to see me,” she smirked.

“You're the worst,” Emma chuckled.

“Did you manage to choose?” Ruby asked as they made their way to the studio, Rumple was going to start his show.

They all loved to watch him, he was a true artist as a DJ. Emma hoped to be as good as him someday, she felt like an amateur compared to him.

“Yeah, I did,” Emma nodded. “It wasn't easy.”

“Is your mysterious MR coming?” Ruby asked curiously.

Emma had told her about the mysterious woman who kept writing her and ever since both of them speculated how she would look like. Ruby thought she was an older woman, but still hot. Emma thought she would be more of her own age and a gentlewoman.

Emma nodded. “She did give the right answer, so I sent an invite to her.”

“Awesome. So you are too gonna get laid?” Ruby exclaimed, excited. “You will have to find another bunk though,” she mused, winking at Emma. Suddenly, she gasped. “What if she’s a nun or something?” she said, her eyes wide. “There’s no way you’ll get laid.”

Emma slapped Ruby’s arm out of instinct, praying this wouldn’t turn into a new tic. “Idiot.”

Ruby just smirked as Rumple opened up the microphone, starting his show.

~~~

A week later, Maria Regina had managed to get Marnie checked into the infirmary to give birth to her baby. Maria Regina never really had figured out why Marnie had refused to get out of bed, but on day five of her visits, Marnie had given in. Maria Regina was just returning from the infirmary and she parked her bike in the bicycle parking. More and more Christmas decorations popped up and she loved the warm feeling she got from it. She entered the Erasmus house, hung up her coat, and walked further into the house. Out of habit, she checked the inbox and saw a letter had arrived for her. She recognized Emma’s handwriting and her heart made a joyful jump. Maria Regina quickly opened it and read through the content. Emma told her about how Robin Jr. would take over the weekends for her father, as Robin Sr. had been kicked off the boat. Emma told a bit more about her week and how Ruby was never a morning person. Maria Regina smiled but noticed Emma didn’t mention the contest anywhere and disappointment snuck up in her heart. As she made to put the letter back, she noticed a second piece of paper. Curious, she pulled it out of the envelope.

Congratulations!

You have been selected as one of the winners of the contest. We want to invite you to come visit us at our secret location and celebrate Christmas with us at SeaQuest FM!

Yours sincerely,

Emma Swan (and the rest of the crew)

Maria Regina stared at the letter for several seconds. She was going to see Emma! She was actually going to find out who woke her up every morning. Then the excitement dropped below zero. How was she going to explain her absence for an entire weekend??


	4. Chapter 4

“Sister Maria Regina! Wait!”

Maria Regina was just about to get on her bike to sneak out on the day before Christmas. She had left a note on the desk telling them she was visiting the Mother House for some quiet contemplation. She had figured that that would be the only explanation to sneak out like this without getting a search party sent after her.  
Maria Regina looked behind her curiously and saw Kathryn coming down the stairs in just her nightgown, waving a bag around. Gasping for air, Kathryn stopped next to her.

“I have something for you,” she said, handing Maria Regina the bag.

Curiously, Maria Regina opened it. Inside lay an expensive-looking camera. Confused, Maria Regina looked up at Kathryn.

“Why did you give me this?” she asked.

“I know you're going to that radio station,” Kathryn beamed. “I thought maybe you would like to get some mementos from it.”

“What radio station?” Maria Regina asked, frowning. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Did Kathryn know?

Kathryn chuckled. “I hear you listening to the radio every morning. And I knew you would know the answer to the contest. So when you snuck out this morning…”

“You knew I was invited,” Maria Regina sighed. “Does anyone else know?” she asked, suddenly alarmed.

“No, I didn’t say anything,” Kathryn said. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you,” Maria Regina smiled, relieved.

“Go and have fun,” Kathryn winked. “And tell me everything when you get back.”

“I will, and thank you for this,” Maria Regina said as she pocketed the camera safely in her bag.

“No problem.”

Kathryn watched Maria Regina cycle off, shivered, and went back inside…

~~~

The icy wind blew straight through her habit as Maria Regina parked her bike at the harbor. She took her bag off the bike and walked over to the group of people that had gathered at the pier. It was quite a large group of people and Maria Regina wondered if they all were going to radio SeaQuest. She figured they were, as they were grouped around a sign that said Radio SeaQuest. Maria Regina looked up at the sky, it looked like snow was coming. A lot of snow already covered the ground and it made it harder for her to go see her patients. As they boarded the big mail boat, Maria Regina noticed she was attracting a lot of attention. She figured no one expected to see a nun among the winners and, for a split second, she regretted not asking Kathryn for normal clothes. She grimaced, there was nothing she could do about it now. The motor of the boat roared alive and, slowly, the boat started to move. It was quite busy on the boat and Maria Regina ended up sitting in the steering hut next to a preppy young girl.

“You won the competition?” she asked when she spotted Maria Regina sitting next to her.

Maria Regina chuckled and nodded. “I did. You too?” she asked.

“Yeah. It was an easy question,” the girl smirked. “I’m Alice by the way,” she said as she held out her hand.

“M… Regina,” Maria Regina replied and shook her hand.

Her old name tasted weird on her tongue, she had missed saying it without the Maria in front of it. She smiled, for one weekend she could act normal. It was only now she realized how much she missed it.

Alice frowned next to her. “Isn’t it supposed to be sister Regina?” she asked.

Maria Regina shook her head. “Not this weekend,” she winked.

Alice gasped. “You escaped?” she exclaimed and clamped her mouth when several heads turned.

“You could call it that, I suppose,” Maria Regina chuckled. “Isn’t it exciting?”

“Very,” Alice smirked. “I’ve never met an escaped nun.”

Maria Regina laughed loudly at that and shook her head. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Alice.”

“Same, Regina,” Alice smiled.

“How old are you?” Maria Regina asked curiously.

“I just turned 20,” Alice told her. “I’m actually on a mission this week,” she said whispering.

“Oh?” Maria Regina reacted surprised.

“I’m looking for my dad,” Alice said.

“He’s a DJ at radio SeaQuest?”

“According to my mom, yes,” Alice frowned. “I have no idea who it is or what he looks like.”

“I bet he looks a bit like you,” Maria Regina smiled softly. “Maybe you inherited his black hair.”

“Or his funny nose,” Alice giggled.

“I’m sure you’ll find him,” Maria Regina reassured her.

Silence fell between them as they watched the sun come up. It didn’t have much power and was mostly obscured by the clouds, but still, the rays tried to break through.

“I can’t imagine how it is to wake up to this every day,” Alice sighed longingly. Maria Regina only smiled. She saw the sun come up several times when she came back from a late-night birth. She would always take a moment to appreciate it, either to celebrate the birth of a new life or a loss of life. In her line of work, she never knew how it would turn out. It was only yesterday she delivered a healthy little baby boy, but the week before a baby was stillborn. It was strange to realize how random life was. “Are you going for a certain DJ? Or just because you like the station?” Alice asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“I’m going to see the morning DJ, Emma Swan,” Maria Regina replied and she smiled at how Emma’s name tasted on her tongue.

“Oh, yeah, she’s great,” Alice beamed. “I hope to score her autograph.”

“I’m sure you’ll get it,” Maria Regina smiled and opened her bag. She pulled out a bag of cookies she had taken from the kitchen. She opened it and looked up at Alice. “Do you want one?” she asked.

“Yes, please!”

They enjoyed their early breakfast and when they looked out of the front window, they saw a big freight ship come up on the horizon.

~~~

On the freight ship, Emma was pacing up and down on the deck of the ship. Every now and again she looked up to see if she spotted the mailboat yet, but the upcoming mist was blocking her sight.

“Emma, what's wrong with you?” Ruby asked from behind her.

She was sitting against the mast eating an apple, completely at ease.

Emma sighed and sat down next to her. “I don’t know,” she admitted, wringing her hands until it hurt.

Ruby glanced at her sideways. “Nervous over meeting the mysterious MR?” she guessed. Emma just nodded, looking at her hands. She wished she could stop the tics, but they had gotten worse over the days. “Did you tell her about your… issue?” Ruby asked, she knew Emma didn’t like it when people called them tics.

Emma shook her head. “Nope.”

“I see.”

“Should I have told her?” Emma asked desperately, raising her head to look at Ruby.

“It’s not like you can change it now, can you?” Ruby replied soberly.

Emma looked back at her hands and raised her eyebrows high. She cursed under her breath. Maybe she should have listened to her mother and taken the medicine. Emma had refused when she had seen what it did to her roommate in the rehabilitation center. It had made her stoned and she was a shell of herself. Emma had refused to become that and told the shrink she would deal with it herself.  
Now she regretted that choice. What if it scared MR off? She took a deep breath and started humming My Way and it seemed to relax her.

“Seriously? Sinatra?” Ruby asked, raising an eyebrow.

Emma shrugged. “It helps.”

Ruby shook her head and wanted to say something when Killian interrupted them.

“Ship ahoy!” Killian suddenly yelled above them.

Apparently, he had climbed into the lookout at the top of the mast. He looked like a real pirate up there, waving his hook. Emma and Ruby rose to their feet and saw the mailboat sailing their way. A smile spread on Emma’s face, she was finally going to meet MR. Then a thought struck her, what if MR hadn’t shown up? What if she missed the boat? Or what if she decided not to come after all?  
Emma shook her head, she shouldn’t think like that. She watched as the mailboat came lying next to them and Killian threw out the stepladder. The first people climbed up and, longingly, Emma scanned the faces.

“Welcome aboard the SeaQuest,” she greeted a few of them.

Then to her surprise, a nun climbed up the ladder. Emma skimmed over her until she noticed the nun was walking towards her and regarding Emma curiously. Emma frowned, her eyebrow flying up in a tic.

“Are you Emma?” the nun asked gently.

“I am,” Emma nodded.

“I’m MR. Maria Regina. Regina,” the nun smiled.

Emma’s mouth dropped…


	5. Chapter 5

“You're MR?” Emma echoed incredulously. 

The nun in front of her nodded shyly. “Yes. It’s sister Maria Regina, but please just call me Regina, okay?” she said. “I’m not here as a nun this weekend. I just don’t have any normal clothes,” she admitted. 

Emma smiled, she did sound like the MR in the letters. Always humble. “Well, I can see if I can find something that fits you,” she offered, but Regina shook her head. 

“It’s fine,” she said and now fully looked up at Emma. Emma’s breath stocked in her throat at the sight of the deep brown chocolate-colored eyes. “It’s great to finally meet you in real life,” Regina said and Emma tore her eyes away from Regina’s eyes. 

Her eyes glided over Regina’s face, her skin was smooth and the only imperfection was the scar above her lip. Unconsciously, Regina licked her lips and Emma focused back on her eyes. Everything around them seemed to fade away and Emma felt even her tics subdue momentarily. 

“Yeah, same,” Emma stuttered and cast her eyes down. She needed to gather her thoughts. “Welcome on board,” she finally smiled. 

“Thank you,” Regina replied, a smile spread on her face. 

“Can I have all of your attention, please?” Both Emma and Regina looked up, their little bubble burst. Rumple stood leaning on his cane on top of a box, trying to get everyone’s attention. Finally, everyone settled down enough for Rumple to continue. “Welcome on board the SeaQuest, we are very happy to have you all here. My name is Rumpelstiltskin, but I also listen to Rumple and I’m in charge here. I have a few ground rules: no wandering off and no hooking up with the DJ’s. I don’t care if you hook up with each other, but the DJ’s are off-limits,” Rumple told them. 

Emma snickered when she saw Ruby shaking her head to a few of the girls surrounding her and Emma knew that last rule would be broken multiple times. She looked beside her and knew she wouldn’t take advantage of a nun, no matter how much she wanted to. She did have a last bit of respect left in her. 

“We will take care of the sleeping arrangements and food," Rumple continued. "Tomorrow around this time, the mailboat will come around again to bring you all back to shore. Whoever dares to stowaway, will be thrown overboard. England isn’t that far a swim,” Rumple finished off his little speech and everyone laughed. “If you will all follow me, I’ll be your tour guide.” 

Emma and Regina followed him inside, Emma walked behind Regina. She wasn’t really paying attention to what Rumple was telling as they snaked their way through the hallways Emma had walked a thousand times. As she stared at the back of Regina’s head, she wondered what a nun was doing here and how a nun was even listening to Radio SeaQuest. Wasn’t it forbidden for nuns to have any possessions? As they walked towards the main studio, Emma wondered why Regina had become a nun. They passed the empty second studio, mostly used to record the jingles, and Emma pulled on Regina’s sleeve. Regina looked up and Emma motioned for her to follow. They stepped into the dark, empty studio, and Emma closed the door behind them. 

“I thought I’d give you my own tour,” Emma said shyly and unconsciously, her eyebrows whipped up. She cursed herself, feeling her other tics wake up as well. Soon, she felt the muscle in her neck flex and no matter how hard she fought it, the tic won. Her head swung to the left, her face contorted in pain. 

“Oh my, are you okay?” Regina asked shocked, hands already reaching up to Emma’s face. 

“Yeah,” Emma breathed. “Give me a moment.” 

She turned around, closing her eyes so she would relax. She noticed her breathing was ragged and there was no way she could relax. One of the hottest nuns she'd ever seen was standing behind her and her body was misbehaving. Suddenly she felt a warm hand on the small of her back and a body next to her. 

“Breathe, Emma,” Regina whispered, placing her other hand on Emma’s forehead. 

Miraculously, Emma relaxed and her breathing steadied slowly. Emma looked up at the woman next to her and her heart skipped a beat. “Thank you,” she whispered. 

“You’re welcome,” Regina smiled and removed her hand from Emma’s head. The hand on the small of her back stayed, however. Emma didn’t mind, it felt comfortable. “I had no idea you had tics,” Regina added softly, looking into Emma’s eyes. 

Ashamed, Emma cast her eyes down. “I never told you,” she said. 

“True.” 

“I have Guilles de la Tourette,” Emma explained. “I was diagnosed when I was thirteen. I tried medication, but they made me sluggish and I didn’t feel like myself. So I quit. The only time I’m tic-free is when I’m in there,” she said, pointing through the glass at the main studio. 

Robin was doing her show, she seemed unbothered by their visitors. She had grown so much over the last few weeks, she was a true natural. 

“I see,” Regina nodded. 

Emma focused back on Regina. “You’re not weirded out?” she asked, surprised. 

A smile played around Regina’s mouth. “I’m a midwife, I’ve seen a lot of things,” she told Emma. “I think I have seen one kid with Tourette's a few years ago in one of the homes. You’re right, he had an empty look over him. His eyes… It was like I looked right through him,” Regina mused. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.” 

Emma shrugged. “I’m glad my parents backed me up.” 

“Me too.” 

Silence fell between them and Emma turned to face Regina properly. Without even thinking about it, Emma touched the soft silk fabric of the habit Regina was wearing. It suited her somehow and Emma looked up at her beautiful, soft eyes. Emma felt like she could drown in them. Regina smiled at her, the hand on her back softly stroked her. Emma almost purred at the feeling and pushed her back into Regina’s hand. 

“How did you become a nun?” Emma asked, her voice raspy. 

Regina cast her eyes down and Emma was scared she had gone too far, that Regina would pull back. Instead, Regina sighed and looked up again. 

“I… I joined the convent on the day I turned 18,” Regina started and took a deep breath. Emma, who was still stroking the soft silk fabric, moved her hand to Regina’s back and let her hand rest there. “I thought I had to do it, as a punishment.” 

Emma frowned. “What did you do?” she asked softly. 

“I…” Regina took another breath, she looked close to tears. Emma reached up with her other hand and stroked her cheek. 

“You don’t have to tell me,” Emma said quietly. 

Regina pursed her lips and closed her eyes tightly. “I’m gay,” she whispered. 

“Oooh, ‘Gina,” Emma sighed. 

“I was convinced my parents would throw me out of the house if they found out, so I ran away to the convent. My sister caught me. She didn’t stop me, she only handed me the little radio she had gotten for her birthday the year before. It’s the only thing I kept,” Regina continued. “I know my parents have tried to reach me, but I send the letters back unopened.” 

Emma was at a loss for words for a moment. Her hand stroked Regina’s back. “Do you really think they would have tossed you out?” she asked quietly. 

Regina shrugged. “We will never know, I guess.” She shook her head. “I’d been able to ignore my sexuality for a very long time, until I heard your voice. I can still remember the first morning I tuned into SeaQuest, I was lost. Then it all came flooding back,” she whispered. 

“I’m so sorry,” Emma started, but Regina stopped her. 

“Don’t be,” she said. “If I hadn’t wanted to face it, I wouldn’t be here.” 

Emma chuckled. “Okay, fair point.” 

“I just don’t know how to go on from here. I’m not ready yet to leave the convent,” Regina said, casting her eyes down. 

“I get that,” Emma said. “It’s your safe haven.” 

Regina nodded. “Just like this is your safe haven.” 

“Yeah,” Emma smiled. “Want to see the rest?” she asked and made a movement to stand up. 

“Soon,” Regina said as she grabbed Emma’s hand. 

Emma, who was already halfway to the door, looked up and found Regina standing very close to her. Regina gently pushed Emma against the door, a hand reaching up to Emma’s face. Regina closed the space between them, and Emma could feel the breath on her lips. 

“Are you sure?” Emma whispered, cursing herself for asking. 

She wanted nothing more than to kiss this gorgeous woman, but she also didn’t want to disgrace her. She promised herself she wouldn’t take advantage of Regina and she was intent on keeping that promise. 

“I don’t know,” Regina whispered back and their eyes locked. Emma could see a tear appear in her eye as Regina closed the gap. 

Their lips brushed and Emma was in seventh heaven. The kiss stayed gentle, exploring. Emma didn’t push, she let Regina lead. Regina pulled back after a few seconds, her eyes dazed. 

“Now I want to see the rest of the boat,” she said, her voice husky. 

Shaking, Emma opened the door and Regina grabbed her hand as they stepped out of the studio….


	6. Chapter 6

Saying goodbye had come way too soon. They had spent Christmas morning together having a luxurious breakfast that ended up being a big brunch. Maria Regina was standing on the deck of the ship, watching how the mailboat came laying next to them. She felt a dread deep down in her stomach, she didn’t want to leave. She looked up and found Emma standing next to her, looking grim. Maria Regina noticed the muscle in Emma’s neck flexing and she knew Emma was holding in her tics.

“You don’t have to hold them in,” she whispered to the blonde next to her.

Emma looked up, her eyes looked ever so sad.

“I know,” Emma replied. “I’m going to miss you.”

Maria Regina reached up, cupping Emma’s cheek. Emma immediately relaxed and closed her eyes. Maria Regina could feel the muscle still flexing and she stroked Emma’s cheek.

“I’m going to miss you too,” Maria Regina whispered.

Emma turned to fully face her and wrapped her arms around Maria Regina’s waist. “Write to me?” she asked.

“Always,” Maria Regina promised.

Emma bit on her upper lip as she stared into Maria Regina’s eyes. Maria Regina’s heart went wild, would she kiss her again? Their last and first kiss in the studio had sat her aflame and she needed to feel that again. Emma closed the distance and just as her lips brushed Maria Regina’s, a voice pulled them out of their bubble. Again.

“All aboard!” Rumple roared.

One by one the visitors went down the trap ladder and Emma let go of Maria Regina. Maria Regina smiled at her and went down the trap ladder as well. Her lips were still burning from the almost kiss and she sighed. She already missed Emma.

After walking around, she once again found a spot in the steering hut. She hadn’t spotted Alice anywhere and to be honest, she had lost track of the young woman. Maria Regina hoped she'd had fun and that she had found her father. She tripped over a pair of legs in the hallway, a young man was splayed out on the floor sleeping. Most people were catching up on some sleep, they had been partying half the night. Maria Regina and Emma had hidden out in Emma’s bunk and talked into the wee hours of the night. As she settled on the couch against the window, Maria Regina thought back about that night…

_Regina was looking at the gorgeous woman lying next to her. After they had left the dark studio, Emma had shown her around. They had said hi to Robin, who had waved cheerfully at them. They had listened to her doing her show with such vigor, Regina admired her. It was a shame she never could listen to any of the other shows. Maybe someday. After that, Emma pulled her further into the boat, showing her where they slept, where they ate together and relaxed. Emma had spoken a bit about the history, how they all had some sort of disability. It was how they had gotten together as a bunch of misfits. Regina was truly impressed._

_Emma had gone into the kitchen to make them something to eat and soon they were sitting on the roof of the old steering hut, eating a sandwich. Regina had never felt so free and at ease. They had watched the sun sink into the sea and Regina had finally taken out the camera Kathryn had lent her._

_“Can I take a picture?” she asked, looking at how the lowering sun sent fluorescent rays over Emma’s face._

_“Of me?” Emma asked, her eyebrows flying up._

_Regina had nodded and Emma agreed. Regina had taken a few and felt the familiarity of making the pictures. Before she had left her parents, her father had taught her how to take pictures on his old camera. Emma had slowly relaxed more before the camera and Regina couldn’t wait until she could see the end result._

_“I’ll send you some pictures when they're developed,” Regina had said._

_“Or I can come pick them up,” Emma replied. “I haven’t been to the mainland in ages. Maybe I just found a reason.”_

_Regina had smiled and blushed, not sure how to react. Emma had taken her hand when she started shivering from the cold and had led her to Emma’s bunk. Emma discretely had let Regina go in first so she could undress and get in bed. Soon Regina had called her in. Emma had found her lying under the covers waiting for her. Regina had looked away from Emma when she undressed, restraining herself from peaking. Emma had come to lie next to her and Regina had never felt so safe._

_“Are you still in contact with your parents?” Regina had asked Emma._

_“Yeah, we call every week,” Emma said. “They're really cool about this and they're glad I found work I like and where no one treats me like a freak.”_

_“I’m glad,” Regina replied and she had grabbed her camera again, snapping more pictures._

_Emma had started posing and they had ended up a giggling mess._

_“Did you keep the camera hidden from the nuns as well?” Emma had asked curiously when they had calmed down enough._

_Regina shook her head. “No, my roommate and one of the nurses lent it to me.”_

_“Cool,” Emma smirked. “It’s just… you look so familiar with it. Have you done it before?”_

_“I have, actually. Before I joined the convent, my father taught me,” Regina told her._

_Emma nodded and cast her eyes down. “Do you miss your parents?” she had asked softly._

_“Every day,” Regina replied. “But I can’t go back. Not after what I did.”_

_“I’m sure they would understand,” Emma had said, looking up again. “I bet they're missing you too.”_

_Regina had shaken her head. “I’ve chosen this solitary life and I’m going to stick with it.”_

_“Okay,” Emma had smiled and cupped her cheek._

_Regina had watched as Emma slowly had fallen asleep and Regina thought she looked like an angel. She had softly taken the camera and shot one last picture before falling asleep as well._

The loud horn woke Maria Regina up with a jolt. They were closing in on the harbor and Maria Regina seemed to wake from a haze. Seeing the mainland coming closer, her normal life seemed to flood back into her. What the hell had she been thinking running off like that and laying with a woman? Maria Regina felt her cheeks blush in embarrassment, she had not thought this true. When she had joined the convent, she had sworn an oath and she had broken it. They sailed into the harbor and Maria Regina hastily made her way back down, her bag banging against her legs. As soon as the boat was secured to the docks, she climbed off and rushed to her bike, which was thankfully still standing there. She strapped her bag on the back of her bike and drove off. It was still early morning and London was still sleeping it seemed. Out of breath, Maria Regina parked her bike, yanked her bag from the back of her bike, and stormed inside. She was so mad with herself that she had allowed herself to slip up, she needed to repent. The house was quiet as well and Maria Regina slowed down. She quietly rushed up the stairs, knowing the sister were in compliment at this hour. She decided not to join them, she didn’t feel like she was worthy. She walked up to her room and, to her regret, Kathryn was already awake.

“Hey, you’re already back!” she said, surprised. “How was it? Was it wild?” she asked enthusiastically. Maria Regina didn’t reply, she handed the camera back wordlessly and started to unpack her things. “Sister?” Kathryn questioned. “Did something happen?”

Maria Regina tried hard not to start crying and turned around so she wouldn’t be facing Kathryn anymore. Yes, something had happened. Her old feelings had resurfaced, the feelings she had so carefully stored away. Forcibly, she closed her eyes and realized her mistake too late. Emma’s face swam in front of her, her warm smiling beaming up at her.

_Emma._

Her heart broke in a thousand pieces thinking of the blonde angel, knowing she would never see Emma again. Emma, who had so bravely come forward about her Tourette's. Emma, who had bravely shown her the tics. Emma, who still smiled and enjoyed life. Emma, who had stolen her heart. Maria Regina opened her eyes and turned to face Kathryn, ready to tell her when she heard the footsteps of her fellow sisters in the hallway. She closed her mouth again and rushed out of the room, leaving a bewildered Kathryn behind. Maria Regina rushed up to sister Juliana who was the Sister-in-charge and fell into line with her. Sister Juliana looked up.

“Merry Christmas, sister Maria Regina. How was your retreat?” she asked gently.

“Merry Christmas. My retreat… Can I talk to you in private?” Maria Regina asked as could hear the other sisters behind them.

“Of course,” sister Juliana nodded and lead them to her office. “What can I do for you?” she asked gently.

Maria Regina sighed, fighting against her tears. “Something happened on my retreat and I’d rather not disclose what, but I’d like some relief time to go up to the Mother House for a silent retreat. I need to find my connection back with Him,” she tried to explain.

“I see,” sister Juliana frowned. “I will call ahead to the Mother House to let them know you are coming. When will you be leaving?” she asked.

“As soon as possible,” Maria Regina said and sister Juliana nodded.

“God be with you,” sister Juliana said.

Maria Regina nodded and walked out of the office. Breathing heavily, she went back up to her room to repack her bags. This was the right decision, she needed to forget all about Emma and all of the nonsense. She needed to focus on her relationship with God and on her work here on earth. Kathryn looked up when Maria Regina entered the room.

“What’s going on?” she asked as she watched Maria Regina cleaning out her closet.

“I’m going to the Mother House,” Maria Regina said curtly.

“What? Why?” Kathryn asked confused.

“Because… Because I need to be closer to God,” Maria Regina replied and reached underneath her pillow. Her fingers brushed the hidden radio and an aching pain shot through her heart. She would never hear Emma’s voice again. She closed her eyes as she pulled the radio from under the pillow, it was better this way. “I want you to have this,” she said, her voice raspy.

“What…?” Kathryn murmured and accepted the radio.

Maria Regina closed the bags and lifted them up from the bed. “I’ll see you,” she said and walked briskly out of the room, leaving a once again bewildered Kathryn.

~~~

In the meantime on the SeaQuest, Emma couldn’t get rid of the smile plastered on her face. She kept thinking about how beautiful Regina looked in the morning and how she had felt in her arms. Emma had felt so much calmer, even her tics had faded a bit.

“What’s up with you?” Killian asked when he entered the galley.

“She got laid by a nun,” Ruby smirked.

“I did not!” Emma protested.

“You did both come out of our room,” Ruby pointed out.

“We just slept!” Emma exclaimed. “I would never take advantage of a nun.”

“Hmm, I think I would’ve,” Killian smirked.

Emma grimaced at him. “Yeah, but you're missing decency anyway.”

Killian flipped her off and Emma immediately flipped him off as well in a tic. “Fuck,” she swore. “You gave me a new one.”

“You’re welcome,” Killian grinned and Emma rolled her eyes.

Killian could be an ass, but he had his heart in the right place. He had a big mouth, but he would never do anything to disgrace someone. One night, when her tics had been unbearable, he had taken her up to the roof and given her one of his joints. He had kept talking to her until she had calmed down enough to sleep.

A sudden ruckus made her look up and Rumple appeared in the doorway, holding a young woman by the arm.

“Does she belong to any of you?” he asked angrily.

Alice smiled up at them and waved at them.

“Merry Christmas?”


	7. Chapter 7

Whistling in falsetto, Emma sat in the studio. She was in the middle of her show and she was in high spirits. This Christmas had been one of the best she'd ever had and she couldn’t wait until she saw Regina again. They hadn’t made any concrete plans, but Emma expected they would make plans in their letters. As she put on Happy Together by The Turtles, she smiled, knowing Regina was secretly listening to it. Emma didn’t really mind they had to keep it secret, she didn’t want to share Regina anyway. Knowing there was someone out there listening especially to her, made it all the more fun for Emma.

She slipped on her headphones and turned on the microphone.

“And that was Happy Together by The Turtles. It’s the day after Christmas and let me tell you, I’ve had a fucking good Christmas,” Emma said. From the corner of her eye, she saw Rumple appear in the doorway and a grin spread on her face. “It was so good, I want to fucking do it again.” Rumple made a motioned that she needed to knock it off. “What’s up boss? I can’t say fuck?” she asked teasing. Rumple shook his head. “Seems like I’m doing something I’m not allowed to do. But, aren’t we free as a fucking bird?” Emma asked with a smirk.

“Say it one more time,” Rumple dared her.

“Is that a dare, captain?” Emma chuckled. “Right, you know it’s just a word, right? It can’t harm you? Why don’t you say it with me? I know you can do it. Starts with an f,” she continued.

“For fuck's sake, Emma!” Rumple spat and Emma smirked.

“You heard it from the man itself,” Emma said gleefully. “Now let’s all calm down with Sweet Caroline!”

Emma started the song and turned to face Rumple, who was still standing in the doorway.

“Emma, let’s not give them even more reason to shut us down, okay?” he sighed.

“Sorry,” Emma said, but she didn’t really mean it.

She felt rebellious after meeting Regina, but during the week that turned into worry. She hadn’t received one letter from Regina. She had even sent one to Regina, but that had stayed unanswered. So at the end of the week, Emma was an emotional wreck.

“What’s up with you?” Alice asked.

She had convinced Rumple to let her stay. Rumple had begrudgingly agreed, as they needed a cook now that Robin was picking up more radio shifts. Robin now also helped out Hook during the late afternoon and did her own show on the weekend. Alice had promised him she could cook and that she didn’t mind taking over the kitchen.

“Bugger off!” Emma called out and Alice backed away. “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to say that,” Emma immediately said, smiling at Alice. “Stupid tics,” she added.

Alice sat down across from her. “So, what got you so glum?” she asked.

Emma took a deep breath, not sure if she should tell Alice. “During Christmas I met up with one of my most loyal fans and we hit it off really well. She promised she would write me, but I haven’t heard anything,” she explained.

“You mean Maria Regina?” Alice asked, perking up.

“Yeah! You know her?” Emma asked, getting hope again.

“Not personally, I met her on the boat,” Alice replied. “Maybe you can give her a call?” she suggested.

“She lives at a convent, not so sure if that’s a good idea. Don’t want to get her in trouble,” Emma groaned. “But not knowing is driving me crazy.”

“You can just ask if she’s alright,” Alice shrugged. “You don’t have to tell them you slept with her,” she chuckled.

“I did not!” Emma protested, her head swung sideways as her tic sprang to life.

“Uhuh, sure,” Alice winked. “Just call.”

“You’re right,” Emma nodded and groaned in pain. It felt like she had overstretched her neck muscles again. “I’m going to call her.”

Emma stood up and walked to the cabin that held the satellite phone. The equipment in the room was heavily outdated, but with a few tweaks from Rumple, it still worked. Working up the nerve, Emma looked up the phone number in the phonebook. Luckily she remembered the address and soon she found the number to Erasmus House. Her hand was trembling slightly as she punched in the number.

With bated breath, she waited for the phone to be answered, rehearsing what she was going to say when it was answered.

“Erasmus House speaking,” a kind voice answered the phone.

“Uh, hi. This is Emma Swan speaking. Is sister Maria Regina around?” she asked, she could hear her voice quiver.

“Oh my goodness! It’s you! You’re the DJ!” the voice on the other end of the line sounded excited.

Emma chuckled. “Uh, yes I am.”

“Sister Maria Regina isn’t here. She left for a silent retreat at the Mother House,” the woman told her.

“What? Since when?” Emma asked, frowning in concern.

“The day she got back from you.”

“Godda…. Sorry, darn it.”

The woman on the other end of the line chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not a nun, I swear every once and a while.”

“Do you by any chance have the address?” Emma asked.

“I do, hold on.”

The line went silent and Emma’s thoughts went wild. Did she chase Regina away? Had she done something to disgrace Regina? Emma thought she hadn’t, but Regina wouldn’t go on a silent retreat for nothing. Maybe she felt guilty about the whole weekend and Emma’s hope sank to the bottom of the ocean. What if she had messed up Regina’s entire life?

“Are you still there?” the woman brought her back from her thoughts.

“Yes, I’m here,” Emma replied.

“Okay. Do you have a pen and paper?”

“I do.” Emma wrote down the address as the woman read it out loud. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I hope you can get a hold of her,” the woman said.

“Me too, thank you so much.”

“No problem!”

They hung up and Emma sighed; she figured she wouldn’t be able to just ring up the Mother House. If Regina was indeed on a silent retreat, she wouldn’t talk. Emma walked out of the cabin and back to the galley. Alice looked up from preparing the food when Emma sank down in the booth.

“And? Did you talk to her?” Alice asked curiously and Emma shook her head.

“She’s on a silent retreat,” she told Alice. “What if I uprooted her whole faith?” she added, feeling rather hopeless.

“I’m sure that’s not the case,” Alice replied.

Without any control over it, Emma slammed her own chest with her fist in full force. “Fuck!” she exclaimed and she felt she was close to tears. She hadn’t had the slamming and hitting tic in a very long while. The last time she’d had it was when she had just quit her medication, which also resulted in her getting kicked out of school. Her tics were uncontrollable, and the swearing tics were also starting. This had only made it worse as Emma had started to feel depressed about the whole situation.

Again, she slammed her fist into her chest and she thought she heard something crack.

“Hey, hold on,” Alice said, she sounded suddenly very nearby. Emma opened her eyes and saw Alice standing next to her. “Relax, breathe,” she said, kneeling next to Emma.

“Can’t,” Emma heaved, pain was soaring through her chest.

She couldn’t pinpoint if it was her ribs or her broken heart…

~~~

At the Mother House, Maria Regina sat alone in her room. She preferred it that way, even though she had been invited to visit the common room for tea. No, she needed to be alone right now. She needed to think about her relationship with Em… With God. She shook her head, she needed to forget Emma. She needed to focus on what was important and that was definitely not Emma. Yet her mind kept wandering back at how soft Emma’s hair had felt in between her fingers. She kept seeing Emma’s kind eyes looking back at her. No matter how hard Maria Regina tried, she could not forget the blonde angel that stormed into her life. Maria Regina pressed her eyes closed hard, trying to get rid of all the images. She tried to focus on her prayer, but her mind kept wandering off. After trying for the fifth time to read her compliments, Maria Regina gave up. She closed her Bible and looked at the mail that had been left on her nightstand. She noticed she'd gotten a letter from Kathryn. Curiously she opened it and saw it was a bunch of photographs. There was no note, only the photographs. Maria Regina sat down on the bed and slowly pulled out the photographs. The top one was one of Emma sitting at the roof of the steering hut, the sun going down behind her. She was looking directly into the camera with her half-grin, her hair was glowing like an angel’s, and her eyes…. Maria Regina swallowed thickly and knew she had lost the battle…


	8. Chapter 8

Bouncing her leg up and down, Emma sat in the corner of the studio listening to Archie doing his show. It was way past midnight and Emma knew she had to get up in three hours. She probably wouldn’t get sleep, her tics were going haywire. They had been going haywire ever since she found out Regina had gone to the silent retreat. Some of her old tics had resurfaced and her chest was already starting to get blue. Alice had gotten her some weed, but it had only helped for a few hours. It had given her muscles some time to relax, but it wasn’t enough. The slamming into her chest had persisted and Emma knew it would only get worse.

“Emma?”

Emma looked up and saw Archie looking at her with his curious, glazed eyes. She always wondered if he really saw her or looked right through her.

“Yeah?” she asked, relaxing her fist.

She’d calmed down for now, music always soothed her tics. Whenever her tics would be too much to bear, her father had picked up his guitar. After his death, her mother would always turn on the radio. That’s when Emma knew she would be working for the radio one day.

“You seem troubled,” Archie stated. “What’s wrong?”

This is what Emma liked so much about Archie, he always knew something was up and he didn’t sugarcoat it.

“I think I caused someone terrible inner problems,” Emma sighed. “I think you met her.”

“The nun?” Archie asked and nodded. “I think you should go see her.”

Emma frowned. “I don’t want to make it worse.”

“I don’t think the problem of the inner turmoil is with you, but with how she discovered she’s been lying to herself in the name of God,” Archie replied after some thinking.

“You think so?” Emma asked, straightening up.

Archie nodded solemnly before turning back to the mixing table, continuing with his show as if nothing had happened. Emma’s mind was racing now, she had never thought about that possibility. What if Regina had gone on the silent retreat because of that? What if right now she was deciding to leave the convent? Emma hardly dared to hope, but still, a glimmer of hope crawled into her heart.

Emma stood up, waved at Archie, signaling she was leaving and he gave her a big smile and a thumbs up. She decided she would leave after her show this morning and she would ask Robin to take over her morning show until she was back. With a smile and a whole lot calmer, Emma crawled into bed to get some sleep.

~~~

The air was sharp and cold, but Maria Regina didn’t mind as she tended to the garden. It kept her senses sharp and she needed to be sharp. After she had seen the pictures, she had thrown them across the room. She didn’t need the distraction, she needed to focus on her life. She needed to focus on her relationship with God, but that night she had vividly dreamed about Emma. Emma who had been smiling softly at her in the dream. Emma who had kissed her gently, caressing her cheek. Maria Regina swore she could still feel Emma’s hand on her cheek when she woke. She had gotten up at the crack of dawn and rushed outside as soon as she had finished breakfast. The cold air had hit her hard and awoken her senses. She had been with the convent for a solid five years and even though she had seen quite a lot of pretty women, they had never turned her head. So why would a blonde DJ she barely knew?

Because she kissed you. Because she treated you with the utmost respect.

Maria Regina shook her head, she needed to forget about Emma. She deeply regretted her trip to the boat now, if she hadn’t gone, she would have never met Emma.

But you would still be listening to her every morning, wondering what if…

Maria Regina gritted her teeth as she, with more force than necessary, pulled out a weed. No, she would not be wondering what if. She would have gone on with her day, she would have gone on with her life. Her life that felt so secure and safe in the convent.

You’d still be yearning. You’d still be pushing the part that makes you you far away. You’d still be lying. Isn’t that a sin? Lying?

Maria Regina sighed, why was her inner voice so persistent? It had been quiet for all of these years, why couldn’t it just shut up now? She shook her head, moving onto the next piece of weed. The air grew colder and she saw the mist drafting from the sea washing over the little garden. Maria Regina shivered, wishing for two strong, warm arms around her.

Stop lying to yourself, Regina. You need to start being honest with yourself.

Maria Regina dropped the shovel she was holding and dropped to her knees. Tears streamed down her face as she finally let out the truth. Being a nun wasn’t her future or her faith, she could no longer hide who she really was. And she knew that wasn’t mergeable with the church. It was only now she realized how unhappy she had been for the past five years, how she had put up a façade. She dried her tears and stood, facing the sea.

“Enough,” she said, her voice hoarse.

~~~

Emma waved her thanks to August as she drove off in his car. She had gone to him in the hopes she could borrow his car, if he still had it. She remembered the late afternoons spent in this old car, ditching college together. She and Neal had been thick as thieves and he hadn’t cared much about her tics. He had even teased her about them, which had relaxed Emma to no end. So August was the logical choice to go to and ask if she could borrow his car. She didn’t even need to explain why she needed a car, he had given her the key. Emma had promised to be careful with it and had left for the Mother House. As she made her way to the south side of London where the Mother House was, mist was drifting onto the road. The closer she came to the Mother House, the thicker the mist got and she figured it came from the sea. Emma squinted, trying to see how the road went. Suddenly, a few feet away from the car, the shadow of a person loomed up before her car. Emma hit the brakes immediately and got out of the car. Hastily, she walked to the front of the car and was relieved she hadn’t hit the person. She squinted at the person and suddenly realized who she was looking at.

“Regina?!”

Regina looked up and Emma swallowed. Regina had ditched the black and white habit and was wearing regular clothes. She was holding a small suitcase and Emma figured it was her belongings.

“Emma?” Regina sounded equally surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I… I called the convent and one of the sisters told me you were here on a silent retreat and I… I thought it was my fault. I only came out here to see if you’re okay,” Emma rambled. “And because Archie thought you might need me,” she added hesitantly.

“To be honest, I do. I feel I’ve been walking for hours,” Regina chuckled.

Emma smirked and lead her to the car. She helped Regina get in and walked around the car to get in the driver’s seat. She started the engine and turned the car around. Emma saw Regina was shivering slightly and pulled a blanket from the backseat. She draped it over Regina who huddled underneath it.

“You’re not wearing your habit,” Emma noted, eyeing Regina concerned.

Regina shook her head. “I asked Mother for regular clothes as I no longer feel I can be a good nun. Nor do I want to be one. I do not feel worthy.”

“Regina…” Emma started, but Regina held up her hand.

“I’m not done yet. This silent retreat was meant to reinstate my relationship with God and to rethink what my place in the world is. I have discovered that it is not to be in God’s service. I’m gay and, according to the church, that's a sin. But I also figured that lying to myself is a sin and I no longer want to do that. So I’ve chosen to leave the convent,” Regina continued and Emma could feel the relief rolling off of Regina.

“That… is… wow,” Emma breathed and looked aside at Regina. “That is really brave to admit, Regina.”

“Thank you,” Regina smiled. “It’s your fault, though.”

“What? How?” Emma asked, her eyebrows rising in confusion.

“You kissed me,” Regina simply said.

Emma smirked. “But you looked so damn hot. You can’t blame me for that.”

Regina chuckled. “To be honest, you beat me to it.”

Emma’s smirk grew as she grabbed Regina’s hand and squeezed it.

“But that also leaves you homeless,” Emma noted.

“I… had not thought that far. Clearly,” Regina admitted, motioning outside.

Emma chuckled and shook her head. “I’m sure I can persuade Rumple to let you stay.”

“Thank you,” Regina said timidly. “Do you mind taking a detour for me? There are some people I need to see.”

“Of course,” Emma nodded. “Erasmus House?” she guessed, but Regina shook her head.

“My parents,” Regina replied and squeezed Emma’s hand back.


	9. Chapter 9

Nervously, Regina stood at her parents door. She hadn’t rung the bell yet, she was still trying to get her nerves to calm down. She looked over her shoulder and Emma waved at her from the car. Regina had asked if she could wait in the car, she needed to do this alone. She smiled at the blonde and a warm, calming sensation went through her. She turned back to face the door and reached out her hand to ring the bell. It still sounded the same as it had done in her childhood. Nervously, she waited for the door to be opened and she looked up when she heard heavy footsteps. Her father. She swallowed thickly, she only realized now how much she missed her father. The door swung open and there he was. His hair was more grey and his face was more wrinkly, but his eyes were the same.

“Hi dad,” she said with a small smile.

“Regina??” he responded surprised. “You came back!”

“Yeah,” Regina nodded.

“Please, come in!” he held open the door for her and Regina stepped inside. “Your mother and Zelena will be thrilled!” he exclaimed as the door fell close behind them.

It was as if she’d never left. The wallpaper was still the same, may it be a bit yellower then she remembered. Even the smell in the house was the same as she remembered. She smiled, she was glad some things didn’t change. She followed her dad into the living room, where her mother looked up.

“Who was at the door, Henry?” Cora asked, she hadn’t spotted Regina just yet.

Henry stepped aside, revealing a very shy Regina. “Hi mom,” she said.

“Regina?” Cora’s mouth dropped before she got up from the couch, walked slowly over to Regina and hugged her tightly.

Regina slowly wrapped her arms around her mother, reveling at how good this felt. She had missed her mother incredibly.

“Hi mom,” Regina whispered, hugging her mother closer.

“I’ll go get Zelena,” Henry said and he disappeared out of the room.

Cora finally let go of Regina, looking her over critically. “You look thinner,” she said.

Regina shrugged. “I’ve been working hard,” she said.

“You should eat something,” Cora decided and was about to walk off to the kitchen, but Regina softly grabbed her hand.

“I’m not hungry,” she smiled. “I’m fine.”

“Gina!”

Regina spun around and was face to face with her younger sister, who was beaming at her. Zelena had grown the last time Regina had seen her, she was almost taller then Regina. Her red, bushy hair was all over the place and her eyes were shining with mischief.

“Lena!” Regina smiled and hugged her sister.

After Regina also had given her father a hug, she said down in the remaining comfy chair. Cora and Zelena had sat down on the couch and Henry had taken his old, raggedy recliner. Regina couldn’t believe they hadn’t get rid off it in all those years. Regina focused on her mother, who looked troubled. After a few, awkward minutes of silence, Cora looked up.

“Why did you run away?” she asked softly.

Regina could hear the hurt in her voice and it was a stab in her heart. She looked down at her hands, gathering her thoughts. After taking a deep breath, she looked back up.

“I thought it was better,” she started. “When I was sixteen, we got a new girl in our class. Her name was Merida, do you still remember her?” Regina asked.

Cora nodded. “She was from Ireland, right?”

Regina chuckled. “Yeah. No one could understand her. She… Whenever I was near her, my heart would speed up, I would get clammy hands and I would be at a loss of words. I had a crush on her, but I thought nothing off it. That was, until she kissed me. I had never felt like that and I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. Then that Sunday, we went to church and the priest told us that being gay was a sin. I felt so guilty and pushed it away,” she told them.

“But you went out with that dude, what was his name again?” Zelena asked, incredulous.

“Jason,” Regina nodded. “I thought that if I dated with him, it would go away.”

“But it didn’t,” Henry guessed and Regina thought she could see tears in his eyes.

Regina shook her head. “No. It only grew stronger, so I decided to join the nun convent at Erasmus House when I was eighteen. I..ran away because I was scared,” she finally admitted.

“Scared that we would also think it’s a sin?” Cora asked softly and Regina nodded, a tear escaped her eye. “Oh baby,” Cora sighed and stood up to kneel before Regina. She grabbed Regina’s hands and looked up. “We don’t think that. Don’t you remember, we stopped going to that church after that Sunday.”

Regina looked up and breathed out. “I… I thought it was because of dad had a fight with the priest.”

“Yeah, about that preach,” Cora told her. “Look, we know how society here in England is against it, but your father and I aren’t. We only want you to be happy.”

“I’m so sorry,” Regina finally broke.

Cora wrapped her in a hug and Regina clung to her. She didn’t had to leave, she should have trusted her parents. She should have told them, she should have been honest. Henry walked over as well to give his oldest daughter a hug, letting her know he didn’t blame her. After minutes, Regina calmed down and Cora let go of her, sinking back on her knees.

“We love you, Regina,” she said.

“I love you too,” Regina replied, wiping away her tears.

“So, you left the convent?” Zelena asked and Regina nodded, looking up at her sister. Zelena still had the same mischievous look in her eyes. “Where are you going to stay?” she asked curious.

“A friend of mine picked me up. I’m going to stay with her,” Regina said. “I actually met her through the radio you gave me,” she said, looking at Zelena.

“Oh?”

“I started listening to SeaQuest FM and with Christmas I was invited to visit. There I met Emma,” Regina explained.

“Wait, you mean Emma Swan?” Zelena exclaimed.

Regina chuckled and nodded. “Yes. She’s waiting in the car for me.”

“What?? You let Emma Swan wait in the car? What’s wrong with you?” Zelena said, she almost jumped out of her skin in anguish.

“I… I wanted to this on my own,” Regina shrugged.

“Oh my god,” Zelena huffed, stood up and stormed out of the house.

Regina scratched her head and looked back at her parents. “I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused,” she said sorrowful.

“My dear, we are just glad you came back to us,” her father said and Regina released a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

The front door opened with a bang, startling everyone in the living room. Zelena waltzed back into the living room, having Emma in tow. Emma shrugged helplessly at Regina, who had trouble hiding her smile. Regina stood up and walked over to Emma.

“Mom, dad, this is Emma,” she said, grabbing Emma’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Henry said and shook Emma’s hand.

Cora followed and gave Emma a hug. “Thank you for looking after our daughter.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Emma smiled.

“And you already met my sister,” Regina said dryly.

Emma chuckled. “That I have.” She looked up Regina. “We should get going, the mail boat leaves in about two hours.”

Regina nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she promised her parents.

“No rush,” Cora said. “Go.”

“Thanks, mum,” Regina said and hugged her mother.

She hugged her father as well and together with Emma and Zelena, she walked out of the living room. Regina took a deep breath as soon as she stepped outside, it was as if a heavy weight had fallen off her shoulders. They walked to the car when Zelena stopped them.

“Can I ask something cheeky?” she asked, looking at Emma.

“Go ahead,” Emma nodded, leaning into Regina, who was clinging to her.

“Do you mind if I tag along?” Zelena asked. “I’ve been corresponding with Ruby and I kind of want to surprise her.”

Emma smirked, she already could see Ruby’s face. “Sure, hop in. But I can’t promise Rumple won’t throw you over board,” she winked.

Zelena shrugged and climbed into the back seat. Regina got into the passenger seat and Emma walked around the car to the driver’s seat. She got in, started the car and drove off.

~~~

Alice was washing the dishes, when Killian entered the galley. He smiled at her and poured himself a cup of coffee.

“How are you liking it here?” he asked curiously.

“Pretty good,” Alice smiled. “You all are so friendly,” she added.

“We like having you around,” Killian winked and walked off with his coffee.

Alice stared after him, he definitely could fit the description her mother had given her of her father. The only thing not adding up was the loss of his hand, but maybe he had lost it after he had met her mother. Alice sighed, she would need to careful grill him if he knew her mother. She looked up when Robin entered the kitchen and immediately her heartbeat raced up. Ever since she had met Robin and seen her in action, Alice had experienced sweaty hands and butterflies in her stomach.

“Aren’t you ever getting tired of doing the dishes all the time?” Robin asked, picking up a towel to help drying.

“A bit,” Alice admitted.

Robin chuckled and dried the plates. All of a sudden, she looked aside at Alice. “Here’s a weird question,” she started. “Ever wanted to be on the radio?” she asked.

Alice grinned. “Ever since I was a kid. Why?” she asked, looking aside at Robin.

Robin’s sea blue eyes bored into hers and Alice swallowed thickly. She was slowly, but surely drowning in them and she didn’t mind one bit.

“How would you like to be my co-host on the weekends?” Robin asked, a smirk appeared on her face.

“For real?” Alice exclaimed excitedly.

“Yeah,” Robin smirked.

“Hell yes!” Alice smiled broadly.

“It’s a deal then,” Robin said and continued drying the dishes as if nothing happened.

Alice however stood there perplexed, her heart hammered in her chest. One of her childhood dreams was about to come true and she was going to do it with the girl she was slowly falling in love with. Her life couldn’t get any better, she figured. Both Alice and Robin looked up when they heard multiple footsteps and Emma appeared in the galley. She was all smiles and soon someone else popped up behind her. Alice had to blink, but finally she recognized Regina.

“Regina!” she smiled and dove out of the kitchen to give the brunette a bear hug.

“Hey Alice,” Regina smiled and hugged the younger girl back. “I see you managed to stay on board?” she asked.

“Jup,” Alice smiled. “But no luck on the daddy department though,” she whispered. “But I’m getting close.”

“That’s good to hear,” Regina smiled.

Zelena popped up behind them, scanning the galley. She looked disappointed when she only spotted Alice and Robin.

“Looking for someone?” Robin asked.

“Yeah, Ruby,” Zelena replied.

“She’s doing her show,” Robin said and put away the towel. “Come, I’ll bring you to her.”

They disappeared out of the kitchen, leaving Regina, Emma and Alice alone.

“Where is Rumple?” Emma asked Alice.

“In his office,” Alice replied.

Emma nodded and took Regina’s hand. They made their way to the captain’s quarters next to the wheelhouse and Emma knocked.

“Come in.”

Emma and Regina entered, finding Rumple sitting behind his desk looking worried at some papers in front of him.

“Reporting back for duty, captain,” Emma said jokingly, praying Rumple wouldn’t be to mad she’d vanished.

Rumple looked up and Emma swallowed. He looked pissed. “Where the hell were you?” he thundered.

Emma felt her muscles in her face contract, tics were waiting to burst out. She frowned in a tic, her neck muscle contracted hard. She fought against it, but she had to stretch her neck all the way to the left. Suddenly, warmth spread up from the small of her back and she realized Regina had placed her hand there. Knowing she wasn’t alone, Emma relaxed slightly.

“I had to tend to some urgent private matters on the mainland,” Emma explained.

“And let me guess. That urgent private matter is standing next to you?” Rumple guessed, glancing at Regina.

“Uh, yes,” Emma nodded. “I know the rules, but she has nowhere else to go,” she begged.

Rumple sighed and closed her eyes. “Fine,” he finally said. “But she has to work for her living,” he added.

“Of course,” Regina said. “Thank you.”

Rumple nodded and Emma took that as their queue to leave. She dragged Regina out of the captain’s quarters through the hallways to her bunk. She closed the door behind them and pinned Regina against the door. Regina smiled at her, already wrapping her arms around Emma’s waist. Emma wasted no time and kissed Regina fiercely. Regina sighed contentedly into the kiss, she was finally where she was supposed to be…


	10. Chapter 10

Regina stretched out when she slowly woke up because a ray of sunlight was poking through the window. She yawned, realizing how comfortably warm she was. She also realized she was alone in the bed, in the bunk next to her lay Ruby softly snoring. Regina stretched herself out a bit more and spotted a bit of red hair next to Ruby and she smirked. Apparently, Zelena’s surprise worked out well. Lazily, Regina dozed off for a bit more, her mind drifted back to the previous day.

_Emma was pinning her to the door and kissed her fiercely. Regina kissed her back, letting her hands roam over Emma’s body. She lifted up Emma’s shirt and let her hands glide over the silky smooth skin. She smiled when Emma shivered under her touch. Emma asked for entrance and Regina opened her mouth greedily. Regina pushed herself off the door and directed Emma to her bunk. Emma fell onto the bed on her back and Regina crawled on top of her. She looked down at Emma and felt her core was on fire. It had been ages for her since she last had sex and it was only now she realized how much she missed it. Emma propped herself up on her elbows and kissed Regina again, pulling her out of her thoughts. Regina smirked into the kiss and helped Emma out of her shirt. Soon Regina’s blouse followed, exposing her bra. Emma broke the kiss and watched as she unhooked the bra and Regina’s breasts sprang into sight. Emma licked her lips and slowly took one of Regina’s nipples into her mouth. Regina moaned at the sensation, no one had ever done that. Her only experience was fooling around with a boy from her class after school. Emma lightly bit in it and Regina mewled._

_“You like that, huh?” Emma grinned up at her._

_“Shut up and kiss me,” Regina demanded._

_Emma obligated happily and kissed Regina. Emma’s tongue slipped inside Regina’s mouth, distracting her for a moment. Emma took advantage of that and turned them around, Regina found herself laying underneath Emma. Emma wasn’t wearing a bra and Regina reached up to touch Emma’s nipple. Emma moaned at the touch while one of her hand slipped underneath Regina’s waistband. She was wearing a simple skirt, giving Emma enough wiggle room. Regina gasped when Emma touched her clit and her breathe stocked in her throat as Emma put more pressure on it. The pressure disappeared as Emma pulled back her hand and Regina groaned in disappointment. Emma grinned._

_“Patience, my queen,” Emma said as she pulled down Regina’s skirt and took her panties with it as well._

_Regina adjusted a bit as Emma stripped down her pants and crawled back on top of Regina. Regina opened her legs, giving Emma more access. Emma let her hand go back down, stroking Regina’s outer lips. Regina closed her eyes at the feeling, barely aware of her surroundings. Emma kept stroking her lips and Regina bucked her hips in anticipation. Emma smiled and pressed a finger into Regina._

_“Ooooh, Emmaaaah,” Regina moaned loudly._

_Emma took one of Regina’s nipples in her mouth again and started a steady pace. Regina felt she was very aroused and soon Emma added a second finger. She started to pick up the pace and Regina thought she was going insane, it felt like her entire body was on fire. She could feel Emma’s fingers move inside her, touching all the sensitive spots just right and stars were exploding behind her eyes as her body released all the tension she’d been holding in. Gasping for air, she slowly came back to earth as Emma stroked her back, cuddling her close to her body. Regina looked up at her, smiling._

_“You okay?” Emma asked worried._

_“More then okay,” Regina replied._

Regina smiled at the memory, she had kissed Emma after that and they had made mad love multiple times. Once again, Regina stretched out and decided it was time for breakfast. She quickly got dressed and made her way to the galley. Alice was just serving some scrambled eggs and toast and Regina gladly took some. After breakfast, she made her way to the studio to find Emma. Emma was just finishing up her show and smiled when she saw Regina. Emma put down the headphones and walked over to Regina.

“Good morning my queen,” she smiled and kissed Regina.

“Hi,” Regina smiled back.

“Can you all come into the galley?”

Alice appeared behind them, she looked rather rattled. Emma frowned and they followed Alice into the galley. Ruby sat there as well, she clearly just woke up. Zelena sat next to her, clutching a cup of coffee. Killian, Archie and Rumple were standing, Rumple looked quite worried.

“What’s going on?” Emma asked frowning.

“I have some bad news,” Rumple started. “They have found us and are planning on taking us down today.”

“What?” Killian jumped, his eyes were wide with shock. “They can’t do that.”

“They can. We are illegal,” Rumple said. “There is one alternative, but it’s dangerous. I get it if people want to leave.”

“What’s the alternative?” Archie asked, he seemed quite alert at this time of day.

“We move to a different location,” Rumple told him.

“Is that safe?” Alice wondered, scratching her head.

“Probably not,” Rumple admitted. “But I refuse to let them take us.”

“Agreed,” Emma nodded. “I’m staying.”

“Yeah, me too,” Killian nodded.

Eventually, everyone agreed to stay and to move locations.

“Alright, then I’m gonna see if the old girl wants to move,” Rumple said.

He limped out of the kitchen and five minutes later they heard the engines start. The whole boat shook, but it seemed to hold. Slowly, they started to move and cheers went up in the galley. Then a big shudder went through the boat, followed by a big bang. Startled, the cheers stopped. It took a few moments, but then the boat started to lean towards one side. Alice ran off to investigate and returned a few minutes later with Rumple.

“There’s a hole in the front,” Alice reported. “There’s no stopping it, it’s too big.”

Both she and Rumple were soaked through and everyone realized this was serious. The boat was sinking and it looked like it was going fast.

“We’ll have to abandon ship,” Archie spoke up.

Rumple nodded. “Yeah. Get yourself to safety,” he said as he retreated out of the galley.

“Where are you going?” Emma asked sharply.

“Someone has to keep the listeners up to speed,” he winked.

“Like hell you aren’t,” Emma said through gritted teeth and followed him into the studio.

Regina followed her and closed the door of the studio behind her. She watched as Emma shoved the headphones on her head and gave Rumple the all clear to talk.

“Dear listeners. It appears we at radio SeaQuest FM have found ourselves in a bit of a pickle. The authorities have discovered our location, I still don’t know how, and when we tried to move to a different location, the good old boat gave up. So that means, in short terms, we are currently sinking. But don’t fear, we will rise from the…uh… waves!” Rumple said.

It was the first time Regina heard him talk on the radio, and she understood now why everyone loved working with him. He had a silky smooth tongue and his voice was a comfort to listen too. Regina made her way over to Emma to see if she could help. She saw water was coming in from under the door.

“Emma, can you give us something from The Doors?” Rumple asked and Emma stuck up her thumb. “Don’t go anywhere, we will be broadcasting as long as possible!”

Emma started The End and looked up at Rumple. “How long are you planning on going on?” she asked.

“As long as there’s air in my lungs,” Rumple said. “You two should go. I can manage here.”

“Are you sure?” Emma asked, seeing the water was getting higher.

“Yes. Go!” Rumple urged.

Emma looked at him doubtingly, sighed and went over to give him a hug. “Don’t be stubborn, okay?” she said to him.

“You know me,” he winked. “Now go!”

Emma grabbed Regina’s hand and they waded out of the studio. As they opened the door, more water came in and Emma quickly closed it behind her. They made their way to the outdoors and found the rest on the deck.

“Where’s Rumple?” Archie yelled at them.

Emma motioned behind her and shrugged helplessly. Alice was looking around as well, frowning.

“Where’s Killian?” she asked.

No one knew and Alice ran back inside. Almost the entire upper hallway was flooded and Alice waded past the studio, where Rumple was still keeping the show going. Alice waded deeper into the ship and opened Killian’s room. Killian sat on the top bed, clinging to a wooden suitcase.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, looking angry.

“Saving you!” Alice yelled at him. “Come with me!”

“No!”

Alice sighed, the water kept rising. “It’s not too late. Come!” Killian shook his head stubbornly, holding onto the suitcase. “Killian, come on!” Alice tried again, but he still refused. “Please? I would like to get to know my father and I need for you to be alive to do that!”

Now Killian looked up. “Come again?” he asked.

Alice waded closer to him, it was now or never. “Do you know a Cordelia Harrison?” she asked.

“Cor… Delia, yes!” Killian nodded and looked at Alice. “She was pregnant?”

“Yes. She found out after you left for Vietnam,” she explained.

“Shit,” he muttered. “I have a daughter.”

“Not for long if we don’t move now!” Alice exclaimed.

Killian finally moved and jumped into the cold water, still holding the suitcase. He held it above the water as they moved through the water onto the hallway.

“Leave it!” Alice yelled at him frantically, the water was rising fast.

“Never!”

Alice shook her head and as they past the studio, they saw Rumple was still going. He motioned for them to keep going and Alice lead Killian to the way out. Unfortunately the hallway was completely flooded and they had to go under water to reach the stairs. Alice reached the stairs first and dragged air into her lungs. She looked behind her, but Killian wasn’t there. She dived again and saw he had fallen through the hole in the floor leading to the hallway underneath this one. He was sitting on the bottom, clinging to his suitcase. Alice dove to him and tugged at him. Finally, when she was almost out of air he let go and followed her up. Behind them, the suitcase flung open and hundreds of records floated up. Alice dragged Killian up the stairs and both of them gasped for air. Killian went up first and finally they made it safely to the rest. They had moved to the ass of the boat, it was about to stick up in the water.

“Rumple?” Emma yelled at Alice, who shook her head.

Emma sighed, a stab of pain went through her heart. Even though Rumple was an ass most of the time, he had been the one to give her a job.  
Soon, only the ass of the boat was sticking up in the air. They all had moved over the railing and lay waiting for it to sink completely. Just before it disappeared, air bubbles reached the surface and Rumple broke through the water. Emma and Regina grabbed him, just as the boat completely went under water. They all swam like hell to get of the suction, trying to get to safety. Soon the water was calm again and everyone was still swimming.

“Help is coming, right?” Ruby asked.

“I send out a distress call,” Rumple said.

They swam for what felt like hours, but no help showed up. The night around them was pitch black and Emma thought that this was were she would die. She turned to face Regina, who looked braver then she felt. Emma pulled Regina closer to her, holding onto her. Their faces were inches away from each other.

“I’m sorry,” Emma said.

“Don’t be silly,” Regina replied. “We will get picked up.”

“Please, let me say this,” Emma begged and Regina nodded. “I’m sorry I’ve only just met you know. I’m sorry we couldn’t do more.”

“Me too,” Regina said and kissed her. “I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you too,” Emma replied.

“It’s been an honor,” Archie spoke up, his voice sounded strained. “It’s been an honor to serve with all of you.”

“Archie…” Rumple started, but Alice interrupted him.

“Look! Look over there!” she yelled in excitement.

They all looked up and saw boats coming their way in the faded daylight. Boats of all different sizes and colors doomed up at the horizon and they knew they were saved. They started to wave at the boats and soon the boats were close enough to swim to. Emma and Regina got picked up by a boat completely manned by women who handed them towels and hot tea. Emma looked at Regina and at all the women around them, they were saved. She stood up and saw that the others were picked up as well and soon they headed back to the safety of the mainland. Emma sat back down, Regina wrapped herself around Emma.

“Told you we would make it,” Regina smiled.

“Yeah, yeah,” Emma smirked and kissed the brunette.

All would be well…


	11. Epilogue

Christmas 1968, Poplar, London

Whistling a random Christmas tune, Emma walked into the building where radio SeaQuest FM was stationed now. About six months ago Rumple had rang her, telling her he had managed to get a legal radio station ánd had a decent location. Emma immediately had jumped at the opportunity, she was already living in Poplar with Regina. Regina now was a midwife and worked at Nonnatus House. Next to being a midwife, Regina was making a name of herself as a photographer. Emma was so proud of her girlfriend.

“Morning Emma,” Neal Cassidy greeted her as she entered the studio.

“Hey Neal,” Emma said and grabbed a cup of coffee. “Had a good show?”

“Yeah,” Neal nodded.

Neal had been the latest addition to the team, as Archie had decided to get a psychology degree and no longer persuade a career at the radio. He did stop by every now and again and Emma figured he was secretly missing them. Neal was a good replacer, he had a calm, smoothing voice and was perfect for the radio. They were very lucky to have him and Emma could get along with him very well. Neal had never made it onto the mainstream radio, because his taste in music diverted to much and he was legally blind. No radio station dared to hire him, which Emma thought was bullshit.

“Are you going to do anything for Christmas?” Emma asked.

It was the day before Christmas and the building was buzzing with activities. This year would be the first year they held an actual reception and everyone who listened was invited. Emma expected a big crowd and couldn’t wait to meet everyone.

Neal shrugged. “Not really. My family lives too far away to visit for a few days,” he said.

“Why don’t you come over and celebrate with me and Regina?” Emma suggested. "Zelena and Ruby will be there too."

“You sure?” Neal asked.

“Regina loves you, so don’t worry about it,” Emma smiled.

“Thanks,” Neal said and stood up. “Have a good show and I’ll see you tonight.”

“See you!”

Emma watched him go and made her way to the studio. It was much bigger and brighter and the equipment was brand new. Yet Emma missed the old studio on board of the SeaQuest ship, it felt so cozy. Emma put on her headphones and opened up the microphone.

_“Welcome to yet another morning at SeaQuest FM. My name is Emma Swan and I’ll be your host for the coming four hours. Let’s start this morning nice and easy with The Beatles and their song Yesterday.”_


End file.
